1. Field of the Invention
In general, this invention pertains to rocket engines. Specifically, this invention pertains to a protective coating for the combustion chamber of a liquid-fueled rocket engine.
Although this invention was developed for rocket engines, the invention has application to parts of other apparatuses that utilize or are exposed to combustive or high-temperature environments (i.e., jet engines, gas turbines, incinerators, furnaces, heat exchangers, reactors, welders, etc.).
2. Background Information
The combustion chamber of a rocket engine is exposed to a very intense environment of heat and pressure during operation. In fact, the life of a rocket engine is highly dependent upon the ability of a combustion chamber to withstand the violent, combustive environment. Like many other high performance applications, several materials are combined to meet the demanding fabrication and performance requirements associated with a combustion chamber. For example, good thermal conductance is needed to keep the combustion chamber from getting too hot, and resistance to thermal corrosion and oxidation is needed to ensure a reasonable life expectancy of the chamber itself. A method of protecting the inside wall (i.e., lining) of a combustion chamber from thermal corrosion and oxidation consists of providing a thin protective coating on the lining of the combustion chamber. However, even with special intermediate adhesive or bond coatings, the protective coating has a strong tendency to delaminate in the combustive environment.